Transformation
by Artemis Bloodshadow
Summary: [RyuhouxMimori] Mimori has finally made the dicision to fight HOLY with everything she is. The question is, how will it change her, and can Ryuhou save her from herself? Power and love always come at a price. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own s-CRY-ed.

Prologue

* * *

I was dreaming again of the past, of the first time I had come to the Lost Ground. 

It's funny, I know I'm dreaming, but, every time, it all feels so real. We sneak off from the military ball, having no interest in it, only there because our families had brought us. We watched the stars, and I told him how close they looked.

"The Lost Ground has a high elevation," he told me, "It's natural that the sky looks closer."

The Lost Ground... I had thought to myself. Out loud, I lamented how incredible it must be to be and Alter user, someone that can only be found in the Lost Ground.

It was only then that I discovered that he was an Alter himself. He told me how it was more a curse than anything. And all I wanted to do was make him smile again. Picking up the crystal that his Alter ability had produced, I promised myself that I would dedicate my life to studying the phenomenon called Alter, and that I would use that knowledge to help all Alter users. After all, I had always believed my father's favorite saying: It's natural for human beings to want to help each other.

Then I would always wake up.

I learned years after leaving the Lost Ground that my beleif was incredibly naive, but I never let go of it. If I lost that belief, it made the world a place to horrible and ugly to bear. Childish as it may be, I like having that small hope for all of mankind, the hope that, no matter what tragedy happens; we can all help each other overcome it.

Something else that I now know is that human beings will always fight. War and battle will always follow people, it is something more sure than time it's self.

I paralleled these two sayings, these two beliefs, to that boy. Years ago, he embodied the first, and now... Now I see that he has embraced the second.

I am currently working against a military organization on the Lost Ground, joining the native Alters that reside outside the city. This organization within the military is known as HOLY. Led by Martin Jigmar, they are responsible for keeping Alter "crime" in check so as to bring order to society.

Only Jigmar has another plan, one I will reveal to the world. The Alters that HOLY captures are sent to the mainland for expirimentation, forced into trials through exploitation and pain. No one has the right to do that to another person, no matter what theory of war and peace you follow. No one.

Because of this, I decided to fight

I sought out an old friend of my father's. Yes, my father, a minister, was once close to this woman, a guru of battle. They would have had to be, after all, she is my aunt.

At first, she told me no. Over and over again, she turned me away. But after coming back day after day, she finally agreed to teach me what she knew. The unfortunate part is that I can never let go of who I was, helping others will always be my first instinct, but I will overcome it...somehow.

I am hoping that when I am strong enough, I can convince him to turn away from HOLY, to see the evil that is Jigmar's real adgenda. I hope that the friendship we once shared will give him cause to believe me. Hope is all I have left.

Hope for myself.

Hope for the Lost Ground.

Hope for the native Alters.

And hope for you, Ryuhou.

* * *

(A.N.) So, what do you think? I'm kind of winging it since this is my first

s-CRY-ed fic... So please read and review.


	2. Chapter 1: Training

Disclaimer: (looks around for lawyers and sees none) Yep, I own it!

Chapter 1

(A.N) In this fic, Mimori's mother is dead. I don't know if she's alive in the show, or manga, but here, she is dead. Also, something I forgot to mention: Naria is Mimori's mother's sister.

* * *

**Mimori's P.O.V...**

I am beginning to hate my aunt. At least in the mornings.

Everyday, it's the same thing. She grabs me while I sleep, and throws me out the window. Yes, out the window. Then, as if that wasn't enough, freezing water follows my expulsion, usually drenching me. So not only do I gain new cuts and bruises from the wake-up call alone, I also get a nice, icy shower.

Not.

But Aunt Naria is teaching me a great deal, that is for certain. Every day, I can go farther, run faster, strike harder. I've learned how to strategize, and how to fight up-close and a far. Each night, I fell asleep knowing that I was getting closer to how I needed to be. Who would've thought that such a small woman could know so much?

And small she was. At 4'11", she was delicately built with thin wrists and ankles. She has black hair, which she keeps cropped short, and light green eyes.

It had been six months since I had broken out of HOLY, and I was improving at a fast pace, so that even Aunt Naria was surprised. She told me my drive was remarkable, if nothing else.

After drying off and slipping into a loose tan shirt and some dark brown pants, I padded bare-foot outside to what I had dubbed the "torture area". Here was where Ria, which she insisted I call her during training, would manually stretch my body into a different assortment of pretzels, or that is at least how it felt to me.

"Mornin'," I greeted, less than cheerful. I was a morning person, but with the mornings I'd been having here... Enough said.

She gestured to the rocky ground and replied, "Sit."

I did, separating my legs until I was positioned in a full-strattle. My body didn't even protest to most of the stretches anymore. Ria sat in front of me, putting her feet just above my knees and pushed against my legs. Then, she took both my wrists into her hands and pulled my upper-body forward.

As we went through the motions of stretching legs, arms, shoulders, and torsos, Ria said, "I have been meaning to ask you Mori, what do you plan to do against HOLY?"

I frowned as completed a walk-over. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, HOLY is made up of Alter-users. How are you planning to fight against them with out an Alter your self?" Ria asked sharply.

I sighed exasperatedly, "I haven't gotten that far yet."

"I see."

We finished the rest of our warm ups in thirty minutes. I was heading toward the ten mile trail that we usually ran, but a brown, restraining hand held my elbow.

"Not today," my aunt told me. "Today, we are going to see if you can pass a final...test." Her eyes had clouded over with something I couldn't place. Apprehension, maybe? Her face was a blank mask that I couldn't decipher as well.

"Where are we going then?" I asked cautiously. The last test she had put me though had involved explosives, unstable rock, and a very steep cliff. I had barely lived though it and living meant passing.

The small woman led me to another pass, on that led down instead of up. "How much do you know about your mother, Mori?" Before I could answer, however, she began talking again. It appears the question was rhetorical. "She was a wonderful woman, and in many ways, you are just like her. But there is something that I bet your father never mentioned about mine and hers side of the family."

"What?"

She stopped and looked at me hard. Suddenly, chunks of rock disappeared as my aunt glowed with a spectrum of colors. And just as suddenly, a...golem...I guess you could call it was standing at her shoulder. Brown as the rock it came from, it was huge, well over ten feet tall, and was as wide as three middle-sized humans.

"I'm an Alter-user, Mimori."

My gaping mouth closed, and formed a small smile. "That's seems pretty obvious."

She smiled back at me. "Yes...it is...now." She glowed briefly, and then the golem was gone. "I call it Guardian Rock," she told me. I opened my mouth to ask a question, but she held up a hand, "Your mother was what I call a latent user. She had no visible Alter ability, but the genes were there. Which means you might have them too."

I digested this. "And this pertains to where we're going...how?"

"We're going to the Alter Forest, Mimori. If you possess an Alter, then that is where it can be drawn out. There is a cave there that I found many years ago... It is something like a cloister of trials," she explained.

"And if I don't have an Alter?"

"It will most likely kill you," Ria said, "but don't worry, it hasn't killed anyone in years, I think."

I knew it. I knew that this was going to kill me... NO! I have to stop Jigmar first. I have to... I have to do something about it before I die.

I have to see him again.

* * *

**Ryuhou's P.O.V...**

"Have you found her yet?" Commander Jigmar demanded.

"No, sir, no yet. Dr. Kiryu has completely disappeared. There is no record of her on any planes the Mainland, nor has she been seen in the City. We are still covering the towns and villages beyond the walls," I reported, stotic.

We had looked everywhere for Miss Kiryu. Everywhere. Eilian can't find her, and, if anyone's seen her, we haven't heard about it. Where could she have gone? Why would she run from HOLY?

Everyone in HOLY was on the alert. Mimori had been declared an enemy of our organization, but no one knew why. Rumors were flying that she had been spying for the Native Alters, and being caught, had fled. Others were that she just switched sides on a whim and went to join their "cause".

And me? I didn't know what to think, but if she ran, then it means she has something to hide. And when people want to hide things from HOLY, then it was usually something pertaining to the Native Alters...to Kazuma. If she was protecting him...

My hands clenched in anger. No... That couldn't be it. It just didn't make sense...

"I want her found, Ryuhou. That is a direct order."

"Yes, sir."

"Take a patrol out; scour every single crevice, every town, every farm, and every hiding place imaginable. From this moment, the hunting of Native Alters is a secondary concern. Mimori Kiryu is a threat to all we stand for. That threat must be neutralized."

I nodded curtly, already calculating how long it would take to get the usual team together. "And if and when we find her?"

"Bring her back here under arrest. If she is resistant, then you have permission to use deadly force. That is all," he said. The dismissal was clear. So was the threat.

I saluted him, "Yes, sir."

The hunt was on.

* * *

(A.N.) So, like it? Hate it? If your wondering where the romance part is... I'm getting there. Or at least, I'm trying to. So be patient with me! Oh, and how do you spell the blue-haired girl's name? I have found about five different ways, and I don't know which is the correct way. 


	3. Chapter 2: Alter Forest

Disclaimer: ...

Chapter 2

(A.N) I want to thank those of you reviewers who answered my question about how to spell Scheris and the rest of you who reviewed, of course. Also, someone asked how Mimori escaped HOLY; Straight Cougar broke her out. As to the latent alter thing... yes, that is exactly what it means.

* * *

**Mimori's P.O.V...**

My bare feet made almost no sound on the mossy forest floor, that's how thick the growth was. The trees were tall, as tall as some skyscrapers, their leaves an emerald that would make the highest quality gem cry with envy. Scant shafts of sunlight pierced the canopy, casting shadows and making some things glow.

I followed my aunt blindly through the Alter Forest, my eyes dazzled by nature's brilliance. Ria wove between the trees with the ease of long practice. My movements were a bit less fluid, from less practice or from bedazzlement, I couldn't tell.

Small sounds reached my ears as we made our way: bird calls, tiny animals scurrying through the undergrowth, a stream... All these things made a music all their own.

Such simple things were wonderful to a city girl like me.

"We're almost there," my aunt told me as we paused by a small spring, "The cave is about another ten minutes from this spot." She knelt down by the water, cupping her hands and drawing a deep drink.

I dropped down beside her, also to drink, but paused to admire, again, such a natural beauty that you just couldn't find in a city. The water was a clear turquoise, if that made any sense. It tasted fresh and was as cold as glacier run-off.

"Ready?" Ria asked, smiling. I think she knew how amazed I was with the forest.

I smiled in return. "Let's get going." I stood, and we were again on the move.

True to my aunt's word, we arrived at the cave after ten minutes of walking. The stone was deep gray granite with hundreds of fissures. It looked oddly imperfect surrounded by the rest of the forest, but it still belonged there.

Ria stopped abruptly at the entrance, a small brown statue against all that gray stone. I stood at her shoulder, not sure if I really wanted to go into the total darkness that lay before us.

"I can't go with you, Mori," she said quietly, "This is something that must be done by you alone."

"I know. Don't worry about me, I'm not about to let a cave kill me." I tried to sound light, but failed. My voice sounded a bit strained, as if I didn't believe my own words. One foot in front of another, I began to move forward into the cave's mouth. I crossed the threshold, froze, expecting something to bite me.

I did not expect the cave to close up behind me.

The walls had glowed with Alter power, then there was a wall where there hadn't been. I spun quickly, but the exit was already gone.

Darkness was absolute now, darker than night, darker than just black. No light reached me now, leaving me night-blind from the sudden transition. I blinked rapidly, trying to make my eyes adjust faster.

Something struck me in the stomach, causing me to fly backwards into the cave wall. Dazed as I was, I wasn't stupid enough to stay in one place after that. I rolled to the side, hearing a crash as whatever had hit me smashed into the wall.

I got my feet under me, assured now that there was no damage from the blow. I ran quickly forward, zigzagging.

Light flashed, and I was again thrown by an object, this time by being hit in the back. I went down, rolling as I did so, got up, and kept running. More flashes surrounded me, the green color dominant in my vision. I felt smaller objects assault me, smacking into my arms, legs, and face. One rock caught me above the eye, opening a long gash. Blood seeped down into my right eye, and down the rest of my face. Blinded by the crimson flow, I didn't even see the sharp stone that flew towards me.

Sudden pain in my shoulder brought me down to my knees.

I didn't get back up.

I waited, listening. My hearing was going to be my only asset in detecting movement now. Strangely, everything had gone still, as if the damn cave hadn't just tried to kill me. I slowly rose to my feet, stumbling forward. Stopping, I tore off a strip of cloth from my shirt and wrapped it tightly around my bleeding shoulder. I kept listening intently.

Nothing.

I took one step forward, then two, and another. My hand maintained contact with the wall, holding myself up and guiding me at the same time. Blood dripped from my chin, making an eerie plopping sound. My limbs were growing heavy from blood loss. I reached up and touched the wound above my eye; the bleeding was slowing, I didn't have to worry about it.

Some sort of light waited at the end of the tunnel. Wow, what a fucking cliché... I made my way towards it.

Nothing further attacked me.

As I stepped out of the tunnel, a great, glowing cavern opened in front of me. The walls shimmered with a strange green crystal that reminded me of Alter, but this shine was captured in stone. Stalagmites and stalactites decorated the floor and ceiling. A small lake was the centerpiece of the area and in the center of the lake, there was what looked like a platform of solid limestone.

Forcing my legs to move, I went towards the water, not sure what the hell I was supposed to do.

_Go to the alter in the center._

I whipped around, looking for who had spoken. "Who's there!"

_Go._

The whisper came from all around me. It was as if the very cavern had a voice...but that was impossible...right?

_Go, child._

The voice had grown more insistent. Deciding to obey, I slipped one leg into the lake, then the other. The water was surprisingly warm, like it was fed by a hot spring, but I could see no source for the water. It was also clean, indicating that the water circulated somehow. Now submerged up to my waist, I waded to the limestone structure.

Again, nothing hindered me.

I was getting suspicious now. Granted, I was injured and all that, but... Was that all? Was it that easy? Still thinking, I pulled myself onto the island with my good arm.

_Look._

The command echoed in my skull, reverberated along the walls. As if compelled by a witch's spell, I leaned forward, discovering a small pool in what looked like a naturally made bowl. The bowl was lined with the same glittering crystal as the walls, making the water an interesting shade of green.

I watched as the water began to glow...or maybe it was the quartz. Either way, something was emitting a light, an Alter light.

What is this? I have never seen an Alter behave like this...never even heard of it.

_Touch._

My good arm seemed to move of its own accord, sinking my entire hand and wrist into the liquid.

First, nothing happened, but then my arm began to burn like hellfire.

The voice came again, harder, more like the stone it came from. _We shall see if you are worthy._

The burning had spread from my arm to my entire body. Screaming, I tried to pull my arm back out of instinct. It didn't budge. I kept screaming, the burning causing such intense pain.

And then I began to see things. It was like my entire life was being picked apart, memories strewn in the water in front of my eyes.

My father, my mother's funeral, my aunt, Ryuhou, the others at HOLY, my friends from college and grad school... Everyone I had every known stared back at me at one time or another. The slide show finally slowed as Ryuhou's face appeared for the second time.

_You wish to protect._ The voice breathed. _But to protect, you must destroy. Are you sure that is what you want, little healer?_

Yes. Yes, it was. I had never had a desire so strong.

_It will kill something in you. You will need to freeze you heart against emotions._

I don't care.

_So be it._

The fire turned to ice. Frost traced its way up my arm in an intricate pattern, my body glowing with a green rainbow. I hadn't thought it meant to literally freeze... My arm seemed to be free from whatever power had held it in, and so I pulled it from the water. The frost had hardened, darkened until it made a faint patter on my right arm, stopping at my elbow. They faded into my flesh as I watched.

My vision swam as I raised my head. Never the less, I tried to stand.

I was out before I hit the ground.

* * *

**Ryuhou's P.O.V...**

We were running out of villages and towns to check. My team and I had canvassed all the others, and we were now in the outer territories of the Lost Ground. There wasn't much out here besides forest and cliffs.

"Ryuhou?" Scheris said, blue hair bouncing as she all but skipped up.

"What is it?"

"We're coming up on another town. This is the one that many believe is the most recent hideout for the native Alter users," she informed me.

I thought for a few seconds. "Proceed as normal; we are under orders to put that objective on the backburner. First priority is finding and capturing Mimori Kiryu."

"And if _he's_ there?" the fifteen-year-old inquired.

My fists clenched. I knew who she meant. Kazuma... My enemy, my biggest enemy. I kept my face blank. "Not our problem unless he attacks."

Scheris looked as if she would say something but then thought better of it. "You got it, Ryuhou." She moved to the front of the vehicle, most likely passing on orders to stop at the town and to not fight unless attacked.

I sat in front of the computer console, staring blankly at the empty screen.

Where are you, Mimori?

* * *

(A.N.) A bit anti-climatic with the alter cave I'm told but... shrug And, no, Mimori is not going to be all-powerful or anything. That would ruin the point of the story... Anyways, please reveiw! 


	4. Chapter 3: Encounter

Disclaimer: I only wish...

Chapter 3

* * *

**Mimori's P.O.V...**

I came slowly consciousness, my eyes cracking open a millimeter at a time. I found myself staring at the crystal covered ceiling of the cavern. My body was freezing, my movements stiff. Using my right arm to push me up, I found that I felt nauseous. I squeezed my eyes back shut, hand pressed to my stomach.

Moving even slower now, I began to check over my injuries, tallying the total of bruises and scratches and punctures. My hands roamed, poking and prodding, trying to be as thorough as possible. I couldn't afford to lose anymore blood. Not after whatever had just happened with that pool of...whatever it was. I winced as my hand brushed over my left shoulder. The makeshift bandage I had used was soaked through with blood. Looking at it seemed to remind me that it hurt. A lot. I continued on with my self-evaluation, skipping over the unnoticeable weight of the triangular pendent tucked under my shirt, I ran my hands over my face, recalling that my head had been bleeding. I would have even checked it, but my fingers froze as they brushed my lips.

A rush of coldness filled me, spreading from the point where my mouth and my fingers were connected. Oddly enough, I didn't mind the subzero temperature. It felt...right. Natural. I blew lightly, watching as a cloud of ice formed out of my breath. My eyes were wide as I watched it sink gently to the ground. As it touched the rock, a sheet ice bloomed.

"Wow..." I whispered, gingerly touching the ice. My words continued to expel the frosty air. But this time, I noticed that the tiny ice crystals glowed with a greenish tinge, as did the new markings on my right arm. "So this is Alter?"

My question was answered with answer.

"Enjoying your self, Mori?"

I replied without turning. "I do believe I am." The corners of my mouth twitched, turning upward.

My aunt came and squatted down next to me, also prodding the now melting ice. "What are you going to call it?" she asked, sounding interested.

I was silent for moment thinking. Words flashed through my mind, but it seemed impossible to name this ability. I mean, really, what would you call this? Ice...something, I suppose.

"Hm..." Ria murmured, "How about...Winter Kiss?"

I smiled, genuinely liking the name. "Sure. That fits."

Ria grinned as she inquired. "So, you ready to field test it?"

"You got an idea?"

"While I was waiting, I heard a caravan drive by, just a few hundred yards away. When I went to look, I spotted a HOLY vehicle heading towards one of the smaller villages out here. It's where families send a majority of their kids if they have Alters. There are about ten, fifteen adults who look after them. The number of borders usually varies from five to ten. Although having as many as ten new Alter users is unheard of. But they do get the occasional traveler, so you can count them. It's out of the way, so HOLY has never really bothered them. And when they do, you can bet that they never find anything out of the ordinary."

I listened carefully to my aunt's words. When she had finished, I stood quickly. "Then we need to get there quickly." I began to wade back through the lake. I heard a splash as Ria followed me. "But..."

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure if I have the hang of my Alter yet."

"Don't worry," she assured me from behind, "I'll give you some pointers. All it takes is a bit of practice."

"I can hardly wait."

* * *

**Ryuhou's P.O.V...**

Another annoying Native yelled an insult. Not even acknowledging the man's cry of outrage, my team continued to root through each hovel. Walls were smashed, doors broken down. We took apart anywhere there was to hide.

I would have continued to ignore the angry crowd if I hadn't heard a familiar voice. It was a voice that enraged me at the slightest sound. It was his voice.

"Hey! You HOLY bastards don't know when to quit, do you?"

I turned slowly, striving for self-control. I needed to remain calm, remind myself that I had a mission to complete before I could bash in Kazuma's fucking head.

The red-headed man stood at the forefront of the crowd, that shit-eating grin plastered on his face. People watched him a bit apprehensively, as if debating whether or not he was about to cause them trouble. I could have told them the answer if they would listen: Wherever Kazuma went, trouble and destruction and chaos followed.

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't Kazuma who made the first aggressive move.

A young boy, no more than ten years old, pushed his way to the front of the crowd glowing a bright green. An array of shining arrowheads hovered around his thin body, anger etched in every line of his face.

There were a few shouts of "No!" and "Don't do it!" but then the boy moved, motioning forward. The sharp objects flew toward me, glinting menacingly in the harsh sun.

"Zetsui!" I called coolly, barely exerting effort. My Alter appeared, ready to defend me and my team, and to put down my enemy. Zetsui's razor sharp tentacles raced forward to meet the arrowheads, knocking them aside.

"Hey, over here!"

I glanced over at Kazuma, and saw him glowing as his Alter came to life. His right arm took on its elongated and metallic appearance, the three spikes visible beyond his shoulder. He raised the bronze fist, pulling it back for his trademark Shell Bullet, but stilled when a small voice reached where we were.

"Kazu-kun! Kazu-kun, stop! Stop it!" a young girl shouted desperately, light brown hair bouncing as she sprinted to him.

Sheris was already at my side by this time, awaiting orders. "Sir, do you want the others to handle him?"

I was about to tell her not to interfere when the young boy from before sent another volley of arrows at me. Zetsui parried them neatly, and then aimed at the Alter user. The streamers zipped through the air, heading directly at the boy.

I sensed that Kazuma would not move, not with that girl with him, so it took me a moment to figure out why the boy was not where he had been standing, and who and dragged him out of the way.

I homed in on the newest addition to the mass of bodies. Feeling my eyes widen, I struggled with my sudden urge to call out.

None other than Mimori Kiryu stood about ten yards in front of me on the right. She held the boy behind her with her left arm. I couldn't believe my eyes. Mimori looked so different...

Her hair was pulled back in tight ponytail, leaving only her short bangs to shadow her face. The tan and brown clothing she wore was torn and bloodstained, a strip wound around her left shoulder was pure crimson with her blood. She was barefoot. The familiar pendant, the one I had given her when we were children, swung freely from a black cord. She stood differently; her weight balanced carefully, a trademark of someone who knows how to move in a fight.

But the biggest difference was her eyes. They were still the same shape, still the same beautiful chocolate color, but they were so...cold. It was something that I had never seen in Mimori. She had always been a warm, caring person. Someone was trusting, and kind. But the look she had now... It was like looking into a mirror. Her expression could be considered identical to my own mask.

What happened?

Something tugged on my sleeve, causing me to break from the question. My eyes flickered over to find Sheris still standing at my shoulder, hand fisted in the fabric of my uniform. "Ryuhou, that's her! It's Miss Kiryu!"

I wanted to tell her that I had already known that, that she was a complete idiot for thinking I didn't recognize Mimori. It didn't matter how much she changed. Mimori was the one person I would always be able to find, to pick out, no matter what was going on or how different she appeared. It was just a fact that I knew to be true. Consequently, this is something that I wouldn't discuss with anyone, especially not Sheris.

Fortunately, Mimori responded for me.

"Wow, I so glad you were able to point that out, Sheris." Her words were cold and sarcastic. Again, something that the Mimori I knew never did. "Not only do you all enjoy picking on little kids, you fucking geniuses too."

...This is her right? I examined her again, and she at least appeared to be Mimori. Except, I had never, ever heard Mimori swear. Ever.

She turned to where Kazuma seemed to be arguing with his light-haired companion. "Kazuma!"

The upstart looked up at her. "You! You're that doctor lady from HOLY! You come to help him!" He pointed an accusatory finger in my general direction.

Mimori snorted. "Hardly, and it's formerly of HOLY, thanks. I just wanted to tell you that you need to get your friend and the others out of here ASAP."

I couldn't believe this. She was...helping him? Planning with him? My blood began to boil with some unfamiliar emotion. I was beyond anger. Bordering on surpassing rage.

"And why's that?" Kazuma asked, oblivious to my fury.

Mimori actually smiled at the cocky son of a bitch. She smiled. "Trust me. This place is about to become incredibly unfriendly."

Kazuma frowned, eyes flickering from her to his companion to me. "But..."

"Think of her!" Mimori shouted. "She's depending on you to stay with her!" She pointed at the young girl clinging to the fugitive's left arm. "Now take her and the others, and go!" Her voice left no room for argument.

"That's it," I heard Sheris mutter, "I'm sick of listening to this."

I was inclined to agree with her. But then, Mimori faced me again. When I looked back to where Kazuma had been, he and the girl were gone. Others of the town were hurrying away, following his retreating form, including the boy that had started it all.

Something indescribable passed over her delicate features as we both stared at each other in silence. If I was reading her right, I think it might have been pain. At that second, all I wanted to do was hold as tightly as possible, yell at her for making me worry, ask her why, and where she went.

"Mimori Kiryu," I called, trying to shake off my personal feelings, "you are under arrest for desertion of your post at HOLY, and for treason."

"It's treason now to be disgusted with what Zigmar's doing?" she called back.

"What is she going on about?" Sheris whispered.

I shook my head, unsure. I knew that she had protested to the treatment that the Native Alters were receiving at Headquarters, but she had dealt with it. What was she talking about now?

"Miss Kiryu, we would rather you come peacefully," Sheris yelled, taking a couple steps forward.

"I wish the world was just that easy..." she replied, her expression a touch softer. Her eyes focused on my face again. "Ryuhou... I'm sorry... But, please tell me you didn't know."

"What are you talking about!" I demanded. "Know what?"

"About what they're doing to the Alters you send to the Mainland!"

"They imprison them, run tests. That is hardly cause to-

"Is that what you think is going on?" Mimori said, cutting me off.

"That's it! You, Miss Kiryu, are under arrest. Now, either come peacefully, or we will use force!" Sheris ordered.

"I'm sorry that you think it has to be that way..." Mimori began to raise her arm up to her face, resting the fingers on her lips.

I averted my gaze as Sheris gave the command to the Darth, not wanting to see Mimori struggle fruitlessly against them. Alter flashed in the corner my eye, something I wouldn't think anything of, except for the fact that Sheris gasped in astonishment.

In response, I looked back at the "battlefield" and felt my mouth go dry with amazement and surprise.

All the Darth were frozen, encased in ice. Mimori stood where she had been the entire time, her hand in front of her face, palm facing the sky. I noticed that intricate markings decorated her right arm, and that her lips had turned a pale shade of blue. Frost led outward from her, forming a path to the Darth, not allowing for any doubt as to who conjured the mini-glaciers.

"Meet my Alter, Ryuhou. Meet Winter Kiss."

With those words, Mimori turned and sprinted away like the wind, leaving me stunned and unable to say anything. I had never found myself without words to use, but this... This just left me feeling...unsettled...confused... and well, speechless. I shook it off forcefully.

I ran after her, lengthening my stride to move quicker, while Sheris fumbled behind me. "Ryuhou, where-

"I'm going after her!" I shouted over my shoulder.

I left the blue-haired girl standing in the middle of the deserted town with our new ice statures, staring.

I kept running, chasing the woman who held a mysterious power...and something else that was far more important.

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(A.N.) Please Read and Review! Thanks for all your support guys!


	5. Chapter 4: Caught

Disclaimer: I don't own Scryed...yeah...moving on...

Chapter 4: Caught

(A.N.) Again, thanks to all of you who are reading this story, and reviewing it. This chapter may seem...a bit off, but I was advised by a close friend whose words I value that I needed this in here. So enjoy!

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**Mimori's P.O.V...**

I was ready to drop dead, literally.

Ryuhou has been racing after me for the past five miles, at full sprint. I mean, really, I can jog ten miles no sweat, but sprinting? Hell no. My heart feels like it's going to explode, my blood pounding in my ears like a loud, hallow drum. Plus, it didn't help that the last half of this chase had first been uphill, and then into the Alter Forest. The jumping, ducking, and weaving around trees, logs, rocks...and an enraged bear...was not helping me in the slightest. I had hoped I could loose him here, but... Well, everyone's entitled to have a bad idea now and then. Glancing over my shoulder, I spotted him about two yards behind me, slowly gaining.

Fuck.

Legs pumped faster, drawing on some hidden reserve of energy you only seem to find when you are desperate, that hidden cache that is only made accessible by adrenaline. A second later, I finally broke the tree line, only to find a steep hill. I threw myself into a roll, hitting the ground and taking the impact, somersaulting down the slope.

"Zetsui!" Ryuhou shouted from behind me.

I felt the slope end, pushing to my feet and kept running. In some rational, matter-of-fact part of me, I knew that I was not going to out run his Alter, but I kept going, not wanting to do this now. The confrontation at the village had been enough. My Alter was not going to do a damn bit of good against his, Zetsui is just too fast to be frozen. End of story.

Purple tendrils wrapped around my ankles, yanking backwards. My feet went out from under me, and I almost didn't have time to twist so that my head didn't strike the ground. I struggled out of pure instinct, kicking wildly. More ribbons wound themselves around my wrists.

Ryuhou came and stood over me, looking down, panting. I glared back.

"Let me go, Ryuhou!"

He glared back. "You are under arrest..." He had to stop to take a deep breath.

"For what? Having a conscious? Some human compassion?" I spat, angry. How dare Zigmar... Making it seem like I was the evil one. God, he needed to take a look in the mirror.

"So you keep saying..." the youth above me remarked, "If you aren't a fugitive, Miss Kiryu, then what is going on?"

"If you want to know, then let me up so we can talk like civilized people. There's a rock impaling my back." I shifted uncomfortably, trying to hold my body off the stone.

His crimson eyes narrowed suspiciously, but a moment later I found my wrists and ankles free. I rubbed the reddened skin thoughtfully, not really sure if he would believe me. Ryuhou thought the world of HOLY.

"Now tell me. Why did you leave HOLY? How the hell did you end up with an Alter? Why are you helping th-?"

"I can only answer one question at a time you know," I said wryly, cutting him off. "I left HOLY because Zigmar locked me a fucking cell. Sorry if I don't like being locked up."

"Sarcasm isn't helping you, Miss Kiryu," he said stoically. "Why did the Commander imprison you?"

"Why else? I found out his little secret. You know the low-level Alter users that you and the other HOLY officers capture? They are being sent to the Mainland to be guinea pigs for science, used like animals and treated like animals too." I watched his face carefully, searching for denial, or acceptance, or...something, anything.

Nothing.

He was completely blank, devoid of anything that would have given a hint to what he was thinking, not even his eyes. That said a lot to me. There once was a time when those same eyes had been open as a book, full of hopes and fears, fears and anxieties. Now there was nothing. It takes a great deal of practice...or damage...for a person to do that. A very great deal.

Ryuhou was silent for so long that I got worried, despite the little voice in the back of my head that said not to.

"You still with me?" I reached over and shook his shoulder.

A hand and a purple tentacle entrapped my arm, squeezing painfully. "Don't touch me," Ryuhou hissed.

"Ryuhou," I gasped as both restrainers tightened, "you're hurting me." I tugged my arm, trying to pull it out of their grasp. "Let go..." I yanked more to no avail, finally shouting, "LET ME GO!"

Alter glowed around me, frost encasing my arm, Ryuhou's hand, and Zetsui's tentacle. Zetsui was fast enough so that only the tip was touched by ice, but Ryuhou was not. We were literally frozen together.

"What did you do!" he yelled, eyes burning with rage.

"How the hell should I know! I've only been an Alter user for a couple of hours!" I screamed back, slapping him solidly with my free hand.

Total and utter silence followed.

He stared at me, wide-eyed. I barely noticed. Fighting back a complete breakdown was taking up most of my concern. For the first time, all of it crashed into me, everything that had been happening since I came to the Lost Ground. Tears pricked at my eyes, threatening to fall and never stop. Too much, too fast.

I fought it desperately. I refused to cry, not now, not ever. I needed to be able to do this. If I couldn't...

Squeezing my eyes shut, I hung my head, trying to get control of myself. Breathe, just breath... Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale...

One tear slid down my cheek.

"Damn it," I whispered. "Goddamn it all to hell..." Rubbing furiously at the offensive drop, I felt another fall, followed in quick succession by another. Shit. More green lights glowed around my body, and all of a sudden, the ice was gone.

"Are you...crying..?"

"No!" I choked out. "Why would I be crying, you stupid, arrogant, heartless bastard?" I wrapped my arms around my stomach, still struggling for some particle of control, some shred of strength.

A tentative hand tiled my face upward. Finding myself looking up into those dark red eyes, I couldn't bring myself to fight him. Too many memories rested there, most of them good, full of light. How do you fight the past? How do you protect yourself from what rests in memory?

I wish I had the answer. It probably would save me from heartbreak.

I pulled away sharply, stumbling. "I can't..."

"Mim-Miss Kiryu-

"I will fight for this, Ryuhou! I will fight because what is happening is wrong! Even if it's at my expense or yours..." I turned around, taking that first, reluctant step away from him. Then the slightly easier second step. I even managed a third pace...

Until an arm wound itself around my waist from behind. "You are not walking away. I will not allow you to walk away after that," Ryuhou told me harshly.

An old hurt rose, choking me. "Why not? You did, you walked away."

His arm twitched, tightening its hold around my body. "I had to." The answer was clipped, full of some meaning I didn't even begin to understand.

"So do I. That's what you don't seem to understand. I _have_ to do this."

"Damn it, Mimori!" he yelled, "Why do you insist on fighting me at every turn?"

I twisted around, looking at him over my shoulder, completely stunned. He hadn't called me by my name in...Forever. "Say it again."

"What?"

"My name, Ryuhou...Say my name again."

He stared at me. I don't think he even realized that he had said my name. It almost made me giggle. Almost.

Ryuhou sighed. "Mimori..."

Maybe I could convince him after all.


	6. Chapter 5: Out of Time

Disclaimer: I may not own s-CRY-ed, but that doesn't mean I can't mess with their world!

(A.N.) I am so sorry that this update took so long. Please forgive me! bows incessently School, debate, and some co-writers are leaving me little timet to write this story and a number of others! I'll try to update faster!

Chapter 5: Out of Time

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**Mimori's P.O.V...**

I told him everything, everything from the moment that I had discovered Zigmar's activities to this very second.

We were sitting in the same flat expanse of land at the bottom of the hill next to the forest. The sky was darkening, turning a magnificent shade of violet. The first stars were just coming our, shining brightly even though full dark hadn't fallen yet. The temperature was dropping and slight dew was collecting on the sparse grass.

Ryuhou was silent for a while, eyes closed. He was still as a statue. Slowly, he opened his eyes and asked, "Why didn't you tell me right away?"

"I... Well, first off, Zigmar called me to his office before I could tell anyone. Only I and Cougar knew at the time. And..." I trailed off. I didn't want to admit to anything.

"And what?"

"And... I didn't think you would believe me. You think the world of HOLY, Ryuhou, and I didn't think you would hear anything against it." I waited for a response. A few long seconds passed. Finally, I prompted, "Ryuhou?"

"I'm sorry." He stood up.

I frowned, getting to my feet as well. "For what?"

Ryuhou wouldn't look at me. "For everything." His voice was quiet, barely audible. Turning away, he made as if to start walking away.

Oh, hell no. He was not doing this. He dragged me back not an hour ago, and he was not going to just walk away. I would knock him unconscious if I had to, but he was staying right here until we resolved this, whatever "this" was.

I grabbed his wrist, digging in my heels. "Don't you dare," I warned.

"I need to think about this, Mimori. I need time," he said, pulling out of my grasp.

"No. We are out of time. Time is something you do not get." I walked around and stood directly in front of him. "If you walk, you go through me."

"Just let me consider some options. If it's true, then the other HOLY members need to know. It's my duty to report to them."

Sighing inwardly, I planted my hands on my hips. He had always been a stickler for duty. Oh well, time to try something else. But what?

"Good bye, Mimori." He began walking around me.

Dammit.

Again, I grabbed his arm, with both hands this time. "You said, if. You said, 'If it was true'. You still don't believe me, do you?"

"Let me go."

"I should have known..." I let go. I couldn't make him believe me, could I? If I had learned anything in my lifetime, it was that you can't make someone believe something. You have to wait for them to realize the truth, no matter how long it takes.

But we didn't have forever. Every second we spent doing nothing; more abominable things were being done to those people on the Mainland. Time to be bold I guess.

"Just one more thing, Ryuhou, and then you can go."

He turned to me. "What is it?"

"I'll probably get there before you, so..." I stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. "I hope that you someday figure out that I am telling you the truth."

He was blushing. I wanted to laugh, but I didn't have time. But I would remember that moment forever.

"I'll get you some solid proof. Bye," I murmured.

I jogged towards the City. I would probably come across a car soon.

It was time for a more direct approach.

**An hour later...**

Climbing the walls was easier than I thought it would be. There was almost no security, no guards. It was almost unnerving.

I "borrowed" a car once inside the walls, driving as fast as the thing would go towards HOLY headquarters. I was pretty sure Ryuhou wasn't there yet, but it probably wasn't going to be too long before he got here. Screeching to a stop, the car came to rest at the doors of the ground floor. I need concrete proof, so that everyone would believe me. I was sick of being second-guessed.

Copies of the reports would be that proof.

Quietly, I slipped into the huge building through a side entrance that was usually only used by orderlies and matinance staff.

There were no cameras at this entrance. Few people knew about it, and it was hard to actually find if you didn't know it was there. I knew the place well, and it was easy to make it to the top floor with ease. Disabling cameras and other security systems with codes I still remembered from when I had worked here.

The morons hadn't changed any of them.

Zigmar's office was trickier though. I had never had the codes to this room, no did except Zigmar himself. Gently, I rested my right hand on the door and watched with satisfaction as the door iced over. Stepping away, I prepared to kick it in. It was going to make a ton of noise, but there was no help for it. In a worst case scenario, I estimated that I would have about four minutes to get the files.

I really hoped that Zigmar organized his files clearly.

The door shattered with a horribly loud crash and I ran in, hurriedly running to the computer. Alarms started going off.

Shit.

Typing quickly, I broke the codes and passwords to get into the classified files.

Two minutes.

Downloading the files, I also looked for anything lying on the desk that would also help me prove the facts.

One minute.

I was out of time. Grabbing the disc and rushing out the door.

Alter users were pouring into the halls. I never stopped just ran through. Multiply Alters were hurled at me, but I ducked and froze things, hoping to get away clean.

Reaching the tenth floor, I found that my path was completely blocked by Darth, a lot of Darth. They blitzed me, swarming towards me quickly.

So I jumped out the window.

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**Ryuhou's P.O.V...**

What did she mean? What was she going to do?

The team, especially Sheris, had asked nonstop questions about what had happened. I had lied, telling them that she had gotten away and that we needed to get back to headquarters. That I wanted to give my report to Zigmar face-to-face.

That and ask a few questions of my own.

I had been surprised when Mimori had let me go...and the way she done it. Shaking my head, I tried to not remember how her lips had felt against my cheek, how warm they had been.

We entered the City, driving along the main highway.

"Ryuhou!" Sheris yelled, sounding worried, "Orders! We're needed at headquarters now! There's an intruder! All available units are to respond!"

"Let's go," I ordered, shocked.

_I'll probably get there before you do._..

It couldn't be. She wouldn't be that stupid.

_I'll get you some solid proof._

"Drive as fast as thing will go, Sheris!" I shouted, jumping up from my seat. There was no way to actually know if it was her, but somehow I knew. I just knew that Mimori was the "intruder".

Goddamn it all to hell.

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Please Review! Thanks and much love!


	7. Chapter 6: Twenty Questions

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Don't care. Don't sue.

Chapter 6: Twenty Questions

(A.N) Sorry updating took so long! My schedual has been so hectic with school and debate that I haven't really had that much writing time! So here it is! Chapter 6!

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**Ryuhou's P.O.V...**

The investigative squad was everywhere, picking and prodding trying to find a clue to who our intruder was. I already knew because of one thing.

The ice.

It was everywhere. The shards that used to be the door to Zigmar's office were ice, and there were small patches on the floor and walls of the corridors... and on one other place.

Out the window of the tenth floor, it formed a slick chute to the ground. Some of the searchers found blood at the bottom, leading them to believe that the intruder couldn't control their descent and had hit the ground hard. Very hard. Hard enough, that maybe they were too injured to make a full escape. So, teams were organized to comb through the alleys and side streets for and injured individual. An individual that, the "witnesses" say, was either a woman (or a young boy) with dark hair.

I know now that it _had_ been Mimori who had broken in and stolen the files.

I hadn't actually thought she would _do_ something. I mean, really, Mimori had always been more of a diplomat, not an action-taker. She had always placed more value on persuasive words and logical thinking than action. At least, she had before all this had happened.

I volunteered my team to do the ground searching so that I could find her myself. I knew it had been her, and I knew where she would go to hide.

Assigning Sheris and the others to the south, I headed for the main streets. She would head for a small hotel near a drug store to patch herself up. Mimori, regardless of anything else, was a doctor first and foremost, meaning that she would stop to take care of her wounds properly before she did anything else.

I knew just the place: The Country Inn.

It was next to a generic drug store, and it was the kind of place that didn't ask questions. Despite its homey and respectable name, the Inn was borderline permanent crime center. Drugs, theft, prostitution, and harboring a criminal could all be attributed to the place, and I was loathe to go, but...

I walked into the dingy front office, doing my best to ignore the thick smoke cloud that hung over my head. Disgusting habit.

Knocking on the greasy, wooden front counter, I described Mimori to the innkeeper. The little man bowed his oily head vigorously, obviously sucking up to authority, and said she was in room 21. I asked if she had been here long, and her replied that the "young lady looked pretty hurt" and "unable to move all that much". He pointed the way to the room.

I turned my back on him when he finished, quickly moving in the direction he had indicated. Seconds later, I found myself in front of the dinged up door. Deciding it would be better not to knock and alert her; I knelt down and pulled a slim tool from my pocket. Picking the lock wouldn't take to long.

Lock picking is one the more...deplorable things... I had learned as a field officer of HOLY.

The shoddy lock gave almost instantly.

Shoving the door open I stormed into the room, ready to catch her if she fled.

Wait a minute...

There's no one here.

The room was empty except for the cheap, stained furniture. What the fuck? I am going to kill that lying piece of- Wait!

A bag sat on the floor with the name of the neighboring convenience store across the plastic. I closed my eyes and listened intently, just now realizing that the sound of running water and small taps were issuing from behind the closed door in a shadowing corner of the room.

The bathroom. Of course.

I crept up to the door and continued listening. It sounded like she only had the sink faucet running. A quiet gasp of pain sounded from inside, then the sounds of a pair of scissors snipping away.

I pushed the door open and found Mimori sitting on the sink counter wrapping white gauze around her left calf. Bandages already covered her shoulder and right forearm.

She jumped as I entered, dropping the scissors into the sink and almost falling off the counter. Catching herself just in time, she glared at me and then continued on to another wound. She tied up what appeared to be a new tee-shirt away from her stomach and began to inspect the myriad of scratches across her abdomen. "Here to take me in, officer?" she asked, sarcastically innocent. She seized a bottle of cleaning alcohol and poured it on an already bloodstained washcloth, then pressed the cloth against the scratches.

Mimori hissed in pain.

"Hardly. What the hell were you thinking?" I had to restrain myself from yelling...and from taking the bandages away from her so I could fix her myself.

"That I was tired of being second-guessed. That I was sick of being patted on the head and asked if I needed to lie down," she growled back.

"...Who told you that?"

"Well, no one," she said.

"But then-

"That's not the point, Ryuhou!" she yelled quickly, cutting me off. I almost smiled. The thought of patting Mimori on the head like a puppy was slightly amusing.

"So you broke into HOLY, stole confidential files, ran for it...and then jumped out the tenth story window?" I inquired. Mimori was smarter than that; she could come up with a better escape route.

"It seemed like a good idea at the-ow!-time." She had started cleaning a particularly ugly cut on her forehead. She dabbed at the blood running down her face from the newly broken scab. "Dammit..."

My foot started to tap with pent up energy as she attempted to do everything by herself. Finally, though, I snapped, as she stubbornly tried to clean the scratches on her back where she obviously couldn't reach. I snatched the washcloth from her groping hand and set to it myself, muttering about the inconsistency of female logic. Especially when it came to Mimori and being stubborn.

Mimori stiffened in surprise while I worked. I finished cleaning the scratches and then began to wrap gauze around her waist. When I was done, I moved away and leaned against the wall, crossing my arms.

"Thank you," she said softly. She began to roll the blue shirt down.

I blushed slightly, as only she could get me to do ever since we had been children. Clearing my throat awkwardly, I asked, "I assume you found what you wanted in Zigmar's office?"

"Yes, actually, I did. He labels everything very well, your commander." Her words were back to being snide and sarcastic. She pulled a disc from her pocket and handed it to me. "It's all on there. However, I would advise you use a computer other than the ones at HOLY. The codes maybe recognized by a tracking program. It would be best to use a machine not part of the HOLD network at all."

"And where do you propose I find such a machine?" All the computers in the city were hooked up into the HOLD program since they all used the HOLD satellite for Internet connections.

"...Mine isn't hooked up to their systems," Mimori responded slowly, as if sure I would reject the idea.

Contrary to her beliefs, however, I didn't think it was a bad idea. "Fine. Where is it?"

Another pause. "At my aunt's house."

"Where's your aunt's house?"

"Far away."

This was getting irritating. "Where 'far away'?"

"Outside the city."

This was getting _very_ irritating. "_Where_ outside the city, Mimori?"

"On a cliff above the Alter Forest."

"There are about twenty of those, Mimori!" I growled out through clenched teeth. "Just tell me!"

"...I can't."

"WHY NOT!" I finally exploded. This was annoying. I hate playing Twenty Questions.

"But I could show you. It's not exactly a place I can give exact directions to," she explained reasonably.

"Fine. Let's go." I wanted this cleared up now. If she had proof of her claims, then that would make a conversation with Zigmar easier. I also wanted to make sure she hadn't completely lost her mind.

She looked at me for a long while, eyes searching my face. Searching for my intentions? Maybe. But I would be damned before I asked her what she was thinking. I was not going to act like I was interested in her feelings, giving myself away by helping her with the bandaging had been enough. Mimori was the only one who could make me want to do things like that anymore.

She finally replied. "Okay."

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(A.N) I know! It was short! But, like I already said, no time for writing! Also, if there are more mistakes in here than usual, I apologize! I ran spell check, but I don't have any time to do much else! Sorry! Please reveiw anyway! 


	8. Chapter 7: The Truth

Disclaimer: Sorry, can't talk right now. I'm busy having tea with Satan and his evil friends, so don't sue me for anything or I'll sic them on you!

Chapter 7: The Truth

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**Mimori's P.O.V…**

I can't believe he's actually coming with me. He is actually coming with me back to Aunt Naria's house.

Glancing quickly over at Ryuhou yet again, I still couldn't wrap my mind around this change. The Ryuhou I had met when I'd come to HOLY those few months ago wouldn't have come with me. This was something that the old Ryuhou would have done, and that made my heart so glad. It was a step towards something that I had been trying to do ever since I'd stepped off the plane. I was slowing worming my way through he cold shell.

I tore my eyes away from his cool, perfect profile and maneuvered the car around a large and out of place boulder. The night wind whipped through my hair, swirling through the jeep and blowing straight through. Two bright beams from the headlights cut a path through the darkness, lighting what the moonlight didn't reveal.

"We'll be there in about twenty more minutes," I announced as we passed a cliff face that resembled a setting sun, one of the familiar landmarks I'd come to recognize in this wasteland beyond the city's walls.

"Why does your aunt live all the way out here?" Ryuhou asked. I looked at him briefly, finding him staring ahead at the plateus in the distance.

"Well…" He wasn't going to like the answer. Not one bit. "She didn't want to be bothered by HOLY. She's a native Alter, and she didn't want any trouble for it." When he didn't say anything, I continued, "It's the reputation that you've all built up. Out here your thought of as bringers of destruction. HOLD and HOLY are the stories that mothers tell their children when they don't behave, like the boogieman. I've heard it said myself. 'If you aren't a good child, then HOLY will come and get you,'" I quoted to him.

He visibly flinched. "And here I thought we were actually helping, keeping order and apprehending criminals." His red eyes were narrowed with anger, his voice hot and tight with it.

Taking one hand off the wheel, I gently touched his arm. "Sometimes you do. But people don't always see things the way you do. Some of the Alters you've apprehended were someone's loved one or friend. They're just as angry at you as you are at them. It's all about perspective. There are some out here who are grateful to you, too, because you've saved them or helped them in some way." I spoke soothingly. I didn't want him to be angry, or hurt.

Ryuhou looked at me strangely for a moment and then faced forward again. He never objected to the hand I had placed on his arm. A small smile tugged at my lips as I let my hand begin to drop. He wasn't as tough and cold as he made you think.

I was about to return my hand to the wheel, when he grabbed it abruptly. A startled blush sprang up over my cheeks. His hand was warm and dry, slightly calloused. His grip was firm, but not tight. It was almost electric, holding his hand. My mouth slightly dry, I asked, "Ryuhou?" My eyed flicked in between him and the ground ahead.

"And what do you think of what HOLY has been doing out here, Mimori? Do you think we've been doing something unjust?" he asked, staring out his side of the jeep.

"I…I think you've done justice to some, Ryuhou. I think that you had pure intentions, but at some point, you crossed a line between keeping order and leading a crusade. The fact that you cared enough to try is what really matters, Ryuhou. That is the only thing that matters because it means that you want to help people, and that means that you can start correcting any mistakes you've made," I answered as truthfully as I knew how. I could tell that my answer mattered to him a great deal. I hope that I've given him the answer he was looking for.

He squeezed my hand hard. "Is that what you really think?"

I squeezed back. "Yes, it is."

We continued to hold hands until I need both of mine to control the jeep as it began to climb the rocky and slightly unstable trail to my aunt's cabin. I'd slowed down so that I didn't drive us off the cliff and drop fifty feet and die.

Eventually, I pulled up in front of the place I'd come to think of as my home. Shutting off the ignition, I swung my legs out of the car, wincing slightly as my injured leg made contact with the earth. Damn that hurt.

Limping a tad, I led Ryuhou through the door into the welcoming light of the kitchenette. Ria was sitting at the small table, drinking tea from a ceramic mug. Looking up from the cup, she smiled. "So there you are…and you've brought a friend?" she asked, staring past me at Ryuhou.

"Ria, this is Ryuhou. Ryuhou, meet my aunt, Naria Miamoto," I said, making the necessary introductions.

"So you're the young man I've heard so much about," my aunt greeted him warmly. I blushed and she giggled like a school-girl, murmuring something that sounded suspiciously like, "Young love."

Damn her, why did she have to be so embarrassing? Although my dad was worse. I had had one boyfriend in college and my dad had essentially put him through an Inquisition style interrogation. Poor Suichi… I'd never wondered why he broke off the relationship. After what my dad asked him, I would have done the same thing if I had been him.

Ryuhou, thank God, didn't comment on it, but instead said, "A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Miamoto."

"Oh, and he's as polite as he is cute!" Ria exclaimed, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Just like you said Mori!" She gave me a conspirator's wink and continued, "You kids have fun! I think I'm going to go for a long run. You had be a bit stressed since you didn't come home right away, Mori. You gave this old lady quite a scare, young lady, so now I need to work off the extra stress." She sounded so serious, even through all the bull she was spouting.

With a final farewell, she breezed out the door and was gone, leaving me and Ryuhou standing shocked and blushing in the middle of the room.

"Is she always like that?" Ryuhou asked, trying in vain to hide his faintly pink cheeks from my view. Ria was right about at least one thing: he_ was_ cute.

"She is a bit all over the place. I've just learned to adapt to her many personalities," I sighed, dropping into a chair in the corner of the room in front of my laptop.

"Many personalities?"

I grinned. "Not as in schizophrenia. She just has a lot of different faces. She's been my loving aunt, my best friend, my teacher and trainer, my mom at times, and the face you just saw was her inner teenager, I guess." I shook my head with the last.

"Right…" he muttered.

"Welcome to my world." With a sigh, I turned on the computer and inserted the disc. Pulling up the appropriate files, I shifted to the side and said, "Take a look. Here's the proof I promised."

Ryuhou leaned over my shoulder, his face even with mine. He was so close that I could smell the scent of his skin. He smelled of sweat, but not unpleasantly, and of rain laden wind. I couldn't stop myself from inhaling deeply.

Watching him intently, I was far too aware of how close he was. His HOLY uniform brushed against my arm, and I could feel his body heat through his clothing and my bandages. His brows were knitted and a saw the disbelief flash across his face and he read the confidential documents about the atrocities Zigmar had been privy to. His body was rigid with anger and a thirst for justice. I knew well enough to recognize the signs.

Without drawing away, he turned his head and brought his face close to mine. "I'll kill him for this," he whispered. His eyes were so angry, and I knew that a great deal of it directed not at Zigmar, but at himself. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you, Mimori. I you wouldn't lie about something like this, but I had to make sure. And now that I know…" He trailed off, but he didn't have to finish. I understood, at least as much as I was capable.

I didn't want him to blame himself. It wasn't his fault. He'd only trusted too well, that's all. I didn't want him to hate himself or hurt. I just wanted to take away whatever he was feeling and make it better. I wanted to heal him, or at least make him numb from those self-loathing emotions for a little while.

That was all I was thinking when I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him to me. That was all I was thinking when I kissed his lips gently, trying to tell him without words that it wasn't his fault.

When his lips moved against mine in response, I knew he understood. I knew that I'd finally broken through that barrier he'd built and found my Ryuhou, the one I'd shared six months of laughter with six years ago. We kissed as if there was no time, no hurry. I let his tongue into my mouth, giving myself over to the sensations my body was experiencing.

Pulling me up from my chair, Ryuhou pressed me into his chest, one hand kneading my lower back and the other cupping my face. The hand on my back moved up and brushed against one of the deeper cuts on my back, causing me to wince involuntarily. He pulled back, and just looked down at me, for once readable and unguarded. I could see into his eyes and found the fountain of emotion that I'd always known existed inside him.

"You should lie down," he finally breathed, "you're injured and probably tired." He started to move away, but I stopped him, hand clutching his arm.

"You will stay, right?" I didn't want him to confront Zigmar alone, and I knew that if I didn't make him stay, he would leave when I wasn't paying attention.

He raised an eyebrow at me, clearly misinterpreting the request.

Blushing furiously, I added, "I want to be there to confront Zigmar. I want to go with you."

Now he frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea. It's too dangerous."

"So was breaking into HOLY, but yet I did it and lived to tell the tale," I countered.

"And ended up with too many gashes to count."

…He had me there.

"Let me put it this way, Ryuhou. If you do leave without me, I'll follow you anyway."

"You most certainly will not," he said sternly, "You will get hurt."

I looked into those dark red eyes of his and let my love for him show completely in my eyes and face. "I'd follow you anyway." I brushed my lips against his again. He needed to understand that I'd follow him anywhere. Like the song, ain't no mountain high enough…

I felt nothing less than complete devotion to him, nothing less than the deepest love. When we'd been kids, he'd been my best friend. Over time, that friendship had changed and I'd fallen in love. I don't think I'd realized how deeply I'd fallen until now though.

"Mimori…" He wrapped me in a tight embrace. "Damn it all, Mimori. Why do have to be so stubborn all the time?"

"I don't know, why do you have to be so bossy?" I joked, hugging him back. I win. He would wait for me. I wanted to hold him forever.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I felt the now slightly familiar tingle and saw the green light that told me I was using my Alter. Ice wrapped around me and Ryuhou, encasing us. Surprisingly, it wasn't cold. It was just there.

"What did you do?" Ryuhou asked, as surprised as I was.

"…Nothing. I just thought that I wanted to stay like this forever."

He gave me a small smile that I hadn't seen for a long, long time. "I think that you need some more practice with your Alter before we go after Zigmar."

"My aunt is teaching me."

"I think you need a different teacher."

"Like who?" Was he suggesting what I think he was?

"Me."

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(A.N.) Thank you for being patient, and for sending me all your reviews! I really appreciate it. So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope I can pull some more time together in the near future to type up a new one. Thanks for ready and please review!


	9. Chapter 8: Meeting Friends

Disclaimer: I don't own Scryed or the characters, but Naria is mine!

Transformation

Chapter 8

(A.N.) Sorry, again, for the delay between chapters! I hope you all like this chapter, as more characters from the anime are going to show up.

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**Mimori's P.O.V…**

Ow… My back…and arms…and legs…

My entire body felt like it had been run over by an eighteen wheeler or five. I'd never been worked so hard in my life. Even Ria was nicer during a sparring match. But no, Ryuhou just had to insist that going easy on me would defeat the whole point of training me. It didn't matter that he was sort of right; he could've started me on an eight-step program, or something.

Plus I was going to kill Aunt Ria.

Even though Ryuhou had taken over my training, she still insisted on waking me up in her usual way. As in, she'd toss me out the freaking window and then douse me with ice water. Ryuhou was no help either. Each morning, I'd walk into the kitchen, soaking wet and shivering, and he'd be sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and trying to look innocent. Damn him. If I didn't love him so much, I would kill him. Slowly.

Then we would head out to the "training area", and get started. It was basically the same sort of thing I'd done with Ria, except harder and more painful. The pain was one drawback to sparring with Ryuhou. The other was the fact that it could leave us in…compromising… positions. The most memorable being the time when he'd pinned me to the ground, straddling my waist. Awkward did not even begin to describe the silence that had followed. We hadn't really talked about that kiss we'd shared a week ago, and it was killing me.

I thought about it constantly, and it usually gets me in trouble. Example: Ryuhou spars without a shirt, so I get caught up in thinking some very nice X-rated thoughts and then BAM! I get kicked or punched in the arm. Then he asks me what I'm thinking about since it was clearly not the match. At which point, I blush a bit and give him my best "I have no idea what you're talking about" smile. It aggravates him constantly, which is actually kind of funny. He's cute when he's annoyed, at least with me.

My Alter has grown a little in power, and dreams have started disturbing my exhausted sleep. An iceberg, the Alter cave, and then confusing images of people crying for help. Then I'd see a woman in shadow standing over the bodies of Zigmar and Ryuhou. Just standing and looking down at the blood on the floor. I don't really know what it means. Maybe it's just my subconscious working out my fears and other random thoughts, but it still freaks me out badly. If it wasn't cut short each morning by my journey out the window, I would probably wake up screaming.

Anyway, I was thinking about the dream this morning while I stretched out. I must've shown something on my face because Ryuhou asked, "Is something wrong?"

Like I was going to tell him I worried about some nightmares. "Not a thing. Although maybe I wouldn't be so out of it if I wasn't still suffering from frostbite."

"Can you even get frostbite?" he replied, smirking.

"…Shut up."

Our comments were cut short as the roar of an engine cut through the air. I didn't even wait for the car to make it all the way up to the cabin, I ran towards the hot pink and orange vehicle waving happily. It had been a while since Cougar had come to visit. I was glad I'd contacted him.

The car skidded to a screeching stop about a foot away from me, and the driver's side door snapped open. Seconds later, Cougar had lifted me in the air talking a mile a minute. I think I heard a greeting in the beginning, but I wasn't completely sure.

"Cougar!" I yelled, trying to interrupt, "Cougar put me down right now!" When he didn't put me down, I kicked at him lightly, desperately trying to get his attention. "Put me down! Straight Cougar, if you don't let me go right now I swear I'll give you a huge black eye!" He kept talking rapidly, ignoring me.

"COUGAR!" Ryuhou yelled sternly, walking over.

Cougar stopped and put me down immediately, but draped an arm around my shoulders and smiled jovially. "Hey Ryuhou! Fancy seeing you here!"

I scowled up at him. "How come you always get his name right, but not mine?"

"Or mine?" another man asked, voice sounding a bit queasy.

Turning around I found that none other than Kazuma, Ryuhou's sworn "enemy", climbing out of the passenger's seat of Cougar's car. The brown haired man glared at Cougar, face green. I understood the feeling completely. Cougar's driving gave a whole new definition to "reckless" and "insane".

"I don't mess up you're name, Kazuya," Cougar responded, messing up the name. He looked down at me and asked, "Do I, Miss Minori?"

Before I could re-pronounce my name for him as I usually did, Ryuhou hissed, "What are you doing here, Kazuma?" He was obviously ready for a fight.

"I was actually going to ask you the same question," the Shell Bullet responded.

Both of them glared at Cougar and inquired, in unison, "What is he doing here?"

"Well," Cougar began, "I thought it was a good idea at the time, but I'm beginning to rethink it now."

I sighed. Every single time. Stepping away from Cougar's side, I glared at all three of them. "There will be no fights! None! Is that understood? I asked Cougar and Kazuma to come. I wanted to talk to them. Besides, I've seen what happens to the area you two fights in. I am not rebuilding my aunt's house! End of debate!"

"You asked them to come?" Ryuhou asked.

"Why did you wanna talk to me, lady?" Kazuma muttered.

"If you two are done with the whole male dominance thing, then you both are welcome to come inside and hear what I've got to say." I turned and began walking to the cabin, Cougar falling in step behind me. We started talking about trivial thing, like the weather. Glancing back revealed that both Ryuhou and Kazuma had begun following us, growling and glaring the whole while.

Once everyone was setting around the kitchen, I pulled out my laptop and nodded to Cougar. He pulled out a blue disc and inserted it into my D: drive.

"Take a look at this," I said.

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(A.N.) Dun, dun, DUUN! Cliffhanger! Actually, it was all I could think of at 9:00 at night in between Geometry assignments. T.T Damn circles and their tangents... Sorry. Anyway, REVIEW! I notice that some of you out there are reading but not reviewing! That's mean! Please review!


	10. Chapter 9: Fear

Disclaimer: What do you think?

Transformation

Chapter 9

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**Mimori's P.O.V…**

They were in shock, just as I had been when Cougar had told me the news.

Carefully watching both Kazuma and Ryuhou, I pressed another key on my computer to initiate the next screen. A map of the Lost Ground appeared a myriad of miniscule red dots. Using my index finger, I pointed to one of them. "This," I stated, "is one of the detonation sites. It's the one that is closest to us at the moment."

"Tell me again what the hell this bomb will do," Kazuma said, looking more serious than I have ever seen him. "I never got passed the word 'bomb'."

Cougar took over for me. "It is designed to send out an electromagnetic pulse that will render all Alter users outside the main city immobile. In short, its frequencies have been set to shock the nervous system of an Alter user. The immediate effect will be total paralysis."

"This is what HOLD has been using the Native Alters for," I added, pressing yet another button. A web of data covered the screen. "They were experimenting with the exact frequency they would need."

Ryuhou ran a hand over his face and then pushed his hair back from his forehead. Looking down at the floor, he asked, "How many?"

"Hundreds of small beacons that will carry the signals and project the pulses farther are already installed in various strategic positions around the Lost Ground," Cougar told his commander, "There will be five main bombs that will be set off. Those too have already been set up."

"Five!" Kazuma exclaimed in anger.

"And fifteen secondary bombs that will be set off by the main pulses," the orange-haired Alter user finished.

"That's insane!" Kazuma yelled. "How the hell do we stop this?" He shoved himself out of the wooden chair and paced around the kitchen. "There is no way we can take out all five! They're on opposite sides of the fucking island!"

"Calm down, idiot," Ryuhou instructed, "You're panicking will get us absolutely nowhere."

"Don't you give me orders! It's your organization who is going to go through the damned operation!"

"Would you shut up?" I screamed, "We don't have time for this! Don't you get it? We have six hours! Six! Now sit down and shut up, because we need to make a plan!" I slammed my hands down on to the table, feeling the surface crystallize with ice.

Kazuma sat down.

Expelling a long breath, I tried to pull myself together. The time constraint was a new curve ball that Cougar had thrown at me when he'd opened the files. "Alright, now that I have your attention again," I glanced at Kazuma and Ryuhou, then at Cougar as I continued, "There might be an easy solution to all of this. We only need to disable two of the five devices in order to crash the whole system. But they must be opposite each other, exactly. That leaves only these two stations." A click of my space bar brought up two side by side images.

Identical metal platforms that supported identical white cylinders filled the screen.

"They are located on the eastern and western coasts of the Lost Ground," Cougar reported quietly. "We would have to destroy them at the same time for it to work and we'll have only once chance at it. Each bomb is guarded by HOLY's best officers and…experiments."

"Good God," Ryuhou murmured, "Can this get any worse?"

"Probably, but let's not think about that right now. Cougar and I already have a plan outlined." My voice was steady, thank God, but my hands shook like leaves in the wind. Ice was still spreading slowly over the top of the table. "We would split up into two teams, one for each bomb. The only way to disable the devices successfully is for the main electromagnet to be removed and then destroyed. That means that Cougar and I have to be on separate teams. We are the only ones who know how to take the machines apart." I made sure to look at Ryuhou when I said this. He needed to realize that we couldn't pull this off if he tried to lock me away from the action.

Cougar closed the file and shut the laptop with a ringing finality. "Whoever goes with me will be going to the west station, since it's farther away and I can get there quickly." He smiled wickedly. "If my opinion counts for anything, I think that Kazuya should be the one to come with me."

This left me with Ryuhou.

"Why me?" Kazuma asked.

"Because Sheris' team is one of the many guarding the eastern station," I replied softly.

"When do we leave?" Ryuhou inquired, just as quietly.

Without looking, I beckoned Aunt Naria from the doorway. "Ria, how long would it take you to evacuate the Alter users into the Alter Forest?"

"I don't have a clue. It depends how fast I can get from town to town."

"Cougar?" I said, turning to him.

"What do you want me to do?" Radical Good Speed answered.

"Take my aunt and Kazuma to every village in the Lost Ground. Get every Alter user to make their way to the Forest. You will have four hours." Slowly, I sank into a chair. "That's all the time you can use. After that, head for the western station. When you get there, contact me and Ryuhou. We will be waiting for your transmission at our position at the eastern station. We will strike at the same time." My eyes were closed as I added, without thought, "We will strike and pray that we can still use our powers that close to the bombs."

"…Wait a minute. Come again?" Kazuma demanded.

Ryuhou looked up at his rival. "What she means is that we may not be able to use our Alter abilities that close to the bombs." He looked at me. "That's what you meant when you said 'let's not think about that now', isn't it?"

"You hit the nail on the head, as always, Ryuhou," I told him.

"Great. Just great," Kazuma muttered, standing once again. "Well, we'll just have to deal with that hurtle when we come to it. Come on, Cougar. Grab the old lady and let's get rolling."

The Shell Bullet walked out the door with a confidence, or maybe it was stupidity, that I envied.

Naria wrapped me tightly in her arms. "Don't you dare get yourself killed, Mori. Or I just might have to resurrect you and beat you senseless. Do you understand?" Her eyes were watery.

"Yes, ma'am," I responded, kissing her on the cheek. She pulled away and then Cougar grabbed me in a bear hug.

"Be careful, Mimori," he told me.

I smiled up at him. "Hey, you finally got my name right." Cougar grinned back. "Good luck."

He and Naria walked out the door and joined Kazuma in the car. They sped off in a cloud of dust and I had the horrible feeling that I might never see them again. My fear was so strong that my entire body shivered.

Arms pulled me back against a warm body, and I sank into Ryuhou, boneless.

"We might all die, Ryuhou," I whispered fearfully, "I may never see you or Ria or Cougar or Kazuma again."

Turning me around, he pressed his lips against mine. Against my lips, he murmured, "Then we will use this time."

"For what?"

He gently kissed my neck, and I knew immediately what he meant.

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(A.N.) There will be a LEMON next chapter. I decided to let you all have a nice little cliffhanger type thing again. So, if you want to see this lemon, you all better review!


	11. Chapter 10: Facing Doubt

Disclaimer: I really don't know why I bother with these anymore…

Transformation

Chapter 10

(A.N.) Okay... First things first. Thanks to you all for reviewing! It's nice to know I'm appreciated. Now, second, I do not like the way I write lemons, mostly. This being said, I tried it differently this time. Just don't be too mad at me if you don't like it. I'm sure you'll be in good company with me and others. Third, I shouldn't have to say this, but I will just in case: if you do not like lemons in general or are offended by them, then skip ahead to the bold words that say "Naria's P.O.V..." Thank you for your cooperation.

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**Mimori's P.O.V…**

Ryuhou drew me gently, but urgently, into my bedroom. Soft caresses over my face, neck, and shoulders had my breath catching in my throat. They were such innocent touches, but just the way he did it was sensual. Every move he made was sensuous. Unbelievably so.

He kissed me carefully, and then gradually was more forceful. Eventually, it turned soul-searing and I found that my whole body was alight with the singular desire of wanting him. Wanting him in everyway I could ever possibly want anyone. I wrapped my around his neck and pulled him farther down to me, trying to soak up all I could.

His hands pushed my shirt up, away from my stomach. It was as if that was a signal for things to speed up. Clothes disappeared in a blur of hazy pleasure and passion. Lingering kisses and touches burned into my skin like a brand, and I felt as if I would melt into Ryuhou's body. Talented fingers coaxed such sensations to flow through me, and a talented tongue followed.

Tangled, we tumbled onto the bed, Ryuhou lying on top of me. I could feel each taut muscle pressed down against my body, and I could feel other things.

I am not as naïve as some think I am, nor am I virgin. But my first time had been nothing like this. It had been a fling, this was real. As real as reality could get. And if this wasn't real…Well, then I never want to know what reality, because this is what it is to love someone. To give yourself, body and soul, to that person who is your other half. I gave my heart to Ryuhou when I met him all those years ago, though neither of us knew it then, and now I could give him the rest of myself.

Teeth grazed the thin skin over my racing pulse, and I groaned. I pulled him back to my lips and kissed him hard, telling him that I wanted more. Our tongues danced together as he slid a hand down my abdomen. My breath stopped when he slid his fingers inside me. Then I was arching against him, clutching at his shoulders as he moved his fingers in and out.

A hot and liquid sensation gathered in my body, and before I could turn that overwhelming corner, he stopped. I opened my mouth to protest, but he stifled it by sheathing himself in my body. Without a delay, he moved and he moved fast. It took my a minute to shake myself out of the daze of pleasure he was inducing in order for me to wrap my legs around his hips in order to drive him deeper.

The only words that were spoken were half-growled names and grunts, the sounds barely audible over the sound of our flesh meeting. I could feel my body working up to the climax, felt it close in, and then I was flying. Crying out as I orgasmed, I arched up off the bed. Ryuhou gave one more thrust and then he too climaxed.

We laid there for a while I think, afterwards. Just lying in each others arms. I may never hold him again, never see him again. I held him close and prayed that we could do this, prayed that everything would come out like I hoped it would.

* * *

**Naria's P.O.V…**

"Kazuma, keep them moving!" I shouted from the second-story window of the dwelling. The brown haired youth waved in acknowledgement and continued to head the villagers, Alter users and normals alike, towards the forest.

Turning back to the room behind me, I went over to the rocking chair where the old woman sat. She was in her eighties, to judge by her wrinkles and spindly appearance. Her white hair was fine and thin, her skin spotted with age. "Come on, ma'am," I said, "we need to leave."

The old woman shook her head feebly. "No, I will stay behind." Her blue eyes were that of a younger woman, full of spirit and determination. I could see power too. The woman was an Alter user.

"But-"

"But nothing," she interrupted, "I was born in this house and, if God wills, I will die in it." She gently patted my hand. "Don't worry, my dear. I am not afraid."

A few minutes later, Kazuma and I were back in Cougar's car. After the doors closed, Cougar said, "Does she know what might happen?"

I nodded, a terrible grief welling up in my soul. She shouldn't have to do this, shouldn't have to make the choice. "I told her."

"And she still said she'd stay!" Kazuma blurted.

"Yes. She said that she'd not afraid of death."

"But the pulse could completely fry her!" the Shell Bullet yelled.

Cougar started the ignition. "She knows that."

I strapped into the seat, leaning back. "We need to stop this from happening."

Kazuma also buckled up, gripping the passenger seat furiously. "We sure as hell do."

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(A.N.) Yes, yes, I know it was short, but I still have chemistry homework to do. I am hopefully seeing an update close to the end of them month since it'll be spring break. Also, I am planning for the story to wrap up in 2 or 3 more chapters. Um...let's see...anything else..?... Nope. So, please review and, as always, flames are accepted. Love to you all!


	12. Chapter 11: It All Went To Hell

Disclaimer: Lalala…the smurfs are coming to take me off to Neverland…

Transformation

Chapter 11

(A.N.) Thanks for the reviews and compliments. You all rock! So, you all get cyberbrownies! Very filling!

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**Mimori's P.O.V…**

The dying light cast harsh shadows over the Lost Ground, pockmarks deep in the soil and rock. The white and stainless steel of humanity was so out of place in this rugged and strangely beautiful place. HOLY trucks and personnel were everywhere. The cover of night would not be an advantage. The large luminescent lights that had been set up lit the entire area in stark relief.

Ryuhou's hand was warm and strong in mine, and he asked, "Are you ready?"

I looked at him, trying my best to smile. "Born ready." He squeezed my hand in reply.

Pulling out my cell phone, I speed-dialed Aunt Naria. She picked up on the first ring. "Mimori?"

"We're ready to go. Are you guys set?"

I heard her take a deep breath. "Yes."

"Then let's get going. Good luck."

"Mimori…" Ria trailed off, then continued, "Be careful."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too, Mori. Kick some ass over there." Her voice sounded forced, the humor an attempted comfort.

"You too."

We hung up, and I said to Ryuhou. "Let's get this show on the road. We've got ass to kick and names to take."

A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, even through all his seriousness. I congratulated myself with that tiny victory. And I hoped that a bigger victory was on its way. I looked back down at the station from our position on one of the surrounding plateaus, watching HOLY officers patrol alertly around the perimeter.

"Move out," Ryuhou told me. "You know what to do." Then he was gone, and suddenly Alter light blazed from the ground below. Shouts echoed from the station guards, and more green lights retaliated.

I followed Ryuhou to the battlefield.

Things were already diminishing into chaos. People ran left and right, all trying to engage Ryuhou. There were so many… Kneeling, I placed one hand on the ground and concentrated. The newly familiar blue swirls on my arm glowed, and ice spread outward. The HOLY soldiers slid and stumbled, their footing shot to hell. Shouts from behind me caught my attention, and I turned to find that I was now prime target number two.

"Shit," I muttered, running for the platform. Guards poured into my path, like sand filling a hole freshly dug. Frantically attempting a change of course, I found myself grabbed from behind. Yelping, I kicked back. I hit my mark and rolled as the man dropped me. Another officer lunged, and I re-directed him into the ground.

More and more came at me, and I was able to take each one of them down. My training had paid off in the end. But there were so many, more than we had estimated. Searching for Ryuhou with my eyes, I spotted him surrounded by Alter users. Ryuhou was powerful, but even Zetsui isn't fast enough to keep up with the insane number of soldiers he was fighting.

"RYUHOU TAIREN!" a booming voice called.

Everything seemed to stop as everyone looked up at Zigmar. The HOLY commander stood, regal as a king, on the platform. Zigmar jumped from his perch and landed as gracefully as a cat in the midst of Ryuhou's fight. Words were exchanged between the two men, but I couldn't hear them. I was too far away.

I knew things were going to get ugly, but things went to hell in a fast car and showed no signs of slowing down. Ryuhou and Zigmar had engaged in an all out war, with Zigmar having a hundred other Alter users at his back. I was swarmed with still more combatants, and couldn't get near the bomb. Things were bad, very bad.

One of the Alter users caught me in the head with his Alter, a giant snake. Landing on my back, the world spun above me. I pushed myself to my feet, and felt my stomach roll. I have a concussion. Blurred motion in the corner of my vision sent me into an automatic block. A thick coil struck me, and I staggered. The man waved his Alter on in encouragement, eyes filled with battle lust.

I flung out my hand, icing the damn snake. Another officer attacked from my right, and two more were making their way towards me.

"_You must be willing to destroy._"

The words hit me like a steam engine. The Cave's voice ricocheted inside my skull, almost painfully.

"_You said you were willing."_

And I still am.

A deep coldness spread through my body, frost crystallizing my hair and clothes. A sharp stake of ice materialized in my hand, and I slashed the closest HOLY bastard across the throat. Blood spurted, spattering my face, as he fell. I was on the next one before my first kill had hit the ground.

Nothing mattered besides killing them, besides destroying them. The Cave's voice whispered in my head without emotion, but it reminded me that this was necessity. They were going to kill or imprison those who had done nothing wrong. I wouldn't let them do that, couldn't let them.

A resounding crash caught my attention, and I spun in time to see Ryuhou fly into the cliff wall. Rock sprayed everywhere as he made contact, and then he fell to the earth.

He didn't get up.

Time literally slowed for me, my mind not believing what I was seeing. He wasn't getting up. I took a step in his direction.

"Hold it, Miss Kiryu," a young voice ordered.

I stepped forward again.

A small hand grabbed my shoulder and then Sheris was in front of me. She was between me and Ryuhou. She was stopping me. Why was she stopping me?

"Get out of my way, Sheris," I whispered, pushing her hard.

"I won't let you sabotage HOLY!" the blue-haired girl yelled.

"But you'll let Zigmar sabotage Ryuhou?" I screamed, slashing at her.

"I'm doing this for Ryuhou! He will understand once I tell him!" she screeched angrily. She kicked at my face, and my head snapped sideways. Tasting blood in my mouth, I turned back to her slowly.

"_Destroy to protect. Destroy it all."_

"Yes."

I stabbed her clean through her sternum.

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(A.N.) I know, it's short...again. But this was my spout of inpiratioin tonight. I'm happy that I even got to update, so I can live with it. I'll try to type up a lengthier chapter next time! I promise I'll try! So now, all who are reading will also REVIEW, right? Because we all want Dagger to be HAPPY, don't we? (pulls out gun) Don't we? (evil laugh)


	13. Chapter 12: Countdown

Disclaimer: yawn …

Transformation

Chapter 12

(A.N.) I'm really crushed that so few people reviewed. Are you all really that pissed off that I had Mimori stab Sheris? Geez, you should have reviewed anyway just to tell me you were pissed, if nothing else. Well, here's the next chapter, and I expect some more reviewing from you people this time!

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**Mimori's P.O.V…**

I left Sheris barely alive, bleeding, on the ground as I advanced toward Zigmar and Ryuhou. Neither of them had noticed me yet, even with Sheris' cry of pain. I felt so detached from everything, the world seeming so surreal. Numb didn't even begin to describe the despondency of my mind and body. I could sense the Cave all around me like a violent hallucination. It was completely messing up my perception of reality. And even as I knew this, I couldn't stop the murderous intentions that directed my hands and feet. Even though those intentions weren't completely mine.

A small part of my brain was screaming with fear. It didn't want what was happening. It knew that Ryuhou didn't need my help, that he was capable of getting up and fighting. But the power that coursed through me drove that voice away, quelled it under the tidal wave that bombarded my awareness.

_Wait,_ the Cave commanded.

I stopped.

_Kill him from where you stand._

I can't do that.

_Yes, you can._

I'm not powerful enough.

_I am._

My hands moved against my own will and green Alter light glowed around them. My eyes found the watch on my wrist and I was shocked to see that I only had twenty minutes to disable the bomb. How had time passed so quickly?

A long spear of ice formed and rested in my palms, the tip wickedly sharp and deadly looking.

Wait! I need to disarm the bomb!

_You will kill him now!_

No!

_You would let him destroy your lover?_

Indecision caused my to falter.

_Then kill that man now!_

My thoughts whirred and spun as I tried to straighten out what was going on and what I needed to do. I love Ryuhou but… But he wouldn't want me to let that bomb go off. Could I sacrifice the whole Alter population for the man I loved? Could I let Ryuhou die to save everyone else?

'But what if he doesn't die?' a small voice whispered in the back of my mind.

Then it wouldn't matter…

_Kill…_

"No," I said aloud. Instead, I shoved that huge spear into the ground and pressed my hands to the earth. I didn't know if this trick would work twice but it was worth a shot. I just needed to give Ryuhou a few more seconds to recover…

The ground froze and grew slick. Zigmar stumbled, and that was all I needed to see. I made my decision, hoping I was doing the right thing.

I turned around, sprinting for the platform

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**Naria's P.O.V…**

"Hurry up, Cougar!" I shouted, "We don't have that much time left!"

His annoyed voice answered me from under the device. "I told you it takes time. If I go too fast, it could explode anyway."

"I thought you were supposed to be the fastest man alive," I growled back.

"Well, some things just need to be a bit slower than most."

Kazuma sauntered over, having just pulverized the last of the HOLY soldiers. We had gotten lucky with this station. It was not as tightly guarded as we'd anticipated. Cougar and I had left the HOLY bastards to the Shell Bullet while we'd headed straight for the bomb. We'd been slowed down by a decoy device, but other than that, we'd had almost no trouble at all. Deep in my heart, I hoped that Mimori and Ryuhou were having an easy time too.

"Got it!" Cougar exclaimed triumphantly. He emerged from under the bomb. "Now we just wait for Miss Minori to disarm the one and we'll have been successful."

"Her name is Mi-_mo_-ri, Cougar," I said in exasperation.

"How will we know if she disables the damn thing?" Kazuma asked, leaning back against a railing.

"Well, I'm guess we'll feel a strong electrical charge emitting from her direction. Especially since she's taking so long. She would have felt when ours was shut down, so she'll know that it's now or never."

"What if something's happened to them?" I inquired, worried out of my mind.

"Then we're screwed six ways to Sunday," Kazuma said.

I checked my watch. Mimori had three minutes left.

More time passed and we felt no electrical pulse. Checking the time again, she had one minute. "Come on, Mori," I whispered, "you can do this. We're counting on you."

_I know._

I straightened in surprise and looked at Kazuma and Cougar. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what, lady?" Kazuma asked, sounding anxious and annoyed.

"I could've sworn I heard…" They were both giving me odd looks. "Never mind."

I looked at my watch again. Ten seconds left.

Suddenly, the air felt charged with energy. There was a stale smell to the air like after lightning strikes.

"She did it!" Cougar cheered and a smile broke out on my face. He and Kazuma began dancing around with glee.

"Why don't we go and give them a life home?" I suggested, relief and joy coursing through my veins.

Maybe we would get a happy ending after all.

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(A.N.) Okay, now I want some serious reviewing to happen! I will not post the concluding chapter to the story if I don't get more reviews!


	14. Chapter 13: Aftermath

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue!

Transformation

Chapter 13

(A.N.) Okay, so the thing about not updating until more reviewing happened was a lie. So sue me. (looks at disclaimer) ...Never mind. Anyways, this is the concluding chapter to Transformation, so read it! Then embrace it! Then review it!

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**Mimori's P.O.V…**

The forest was quiet, devoid of the myriad sounds of human civilization. It was as if it was a world apart, ethereal and surreal. Birds chirped in their peppy way and the leaves of the great trees rustled in the wind. All was as it should be, simple and natural. There was nothing touched here by human interpretation and technology. The Alter Forest is. That's the only true way to describe it.

Twigs and leaf debris crunched under my tennis shoes as I made my way to the Cave. I had thought long and hard about what I was about to do, and I knew it for the best. If Ryuhou was conscious, he would agree with me.

The aftermath of the battle was chaotic. Ryuhou, Sheris, and many others had been rushed to hospitals in the City. Very few had yet to leave the Intensive Care Ward. I had instantly jumped at a small chance of redemption for the damage I'd done by offering my expertise as a doctor. In all honesty, I'd never preformed surgery on a living person, but I went into countless ER's, performing operation after operation. Being a genius has some benefits, I guess.

People had thanked me when it was over. Alters had thanked me for saving them from the bomb; families had thanked me for saving their loved ones. I couldn't bring myself to tell some of them that I had been the one to hurt so many. Kazuma and Ryuhou had beaten more than I, but I had done more serious damage to those I had fought. I still can't believe how quickly I'd lost control, how quickly I turned to killing.

I shook my head and willed myself to concentrate on where I was going. Smiling a little as I reached the spring Aunt Naria and I had stopped at. God, that memory seems an eternity away.

I continued past the spring, my thoughts returning to those in the hospital. Ryuhou was still in a coma. The final blows exchanged between him and Zigmar had been vicious and life threatening. Especially for Zigmar.

Zigmar had been one of my surgery patients and, honest to God, I did try to save him. I had been begged by countless HOLY soldiers to do so. They loved him as a leader, believed that everything he had done was for the good of everyone. They even said that he had given every soldier stationed at those platforms a small neuro-nutrilizer that would protect them from the pulse. They said he'd been a good man. And even though I thought they were wrong, I took those words to my heart as I tried to stabilize Zigmar's vitals. I worked for hours trying to repair his heart and lungs.

Time of death was 2:06 A.M.

He was the first I lost on the table that night. I lost eleven others. Death ran rampant in each hospital and the total fatality was fifty-six soldiers and thirteen Alter users. The majority had been people I had attacked. An overwhelming grief had settled over me, staying with me as I assigned myself Ryuhou's personal physician. I'd done everything I could for him and now it was only a matter of time.

Pulling from my memories, I examined the gray fissured stone of the Cave's entrance. It, like the rest of the Forest, looked the same. As if it hadn't found a way to use me as a killing tool.

Cautious, I stepped into the dark tunnel and made my way forward.

Nothing happened.

No sealing up the entrance, no being bombarded by small projectiles. It was as if it was just any old cave, silent and inanimate. Pulling my jacket tighter around my body, I continued forward. This needed to be done. This needed to be finished one and for all.

I'd done some research about the Cave, and I think I know how a construct of nature had become infused with Alter power. I hoped that I could lie this all to rest so that she could finally let go.

Finally entering the magnificent green crystal chamber, I examined everything carefully. Again, it was as it had been when I had been here just that short time ago. Had it been only a week? It seemed like so much longer.

_You came back, healer_, the Cave stated, a disbelieving note in its voice. No, not its. Hers.

"You've been dead for three years, Midori," I whispered. "Why have you lingered?"

Silence answered me.

Sighing, I waded through the warm water to the small island in the center. As I pulled myself onto the limestone, I said, "You were alone for such a long time. That loneliness turned to anger, didn't it? Anger at HOLY for what you thought was abandonment."

_They left me here! They never even looked for me! That bastard Zigmar left me alone when he promised he would come back for me! He promised and he never came!_

Her voice was anguished and stricken, as if she was crying. "You were gone, Midori. They did look for you, but you weren't where they had left you. Officers scoured the entire Forest, but you had come here and fallen into the water. Don't you remember?"

I silently reviewed what I had read in the personnel file. Midori Hikari, age 22, had been left in the Forest for survival training. Zigmar had been her supervising officer. At the time that she was supposed to be picked up, she couldn't be found. She had literally disappeared off the face of the earth. No one had even thought to look for her body this deep in the cave. That she might have fallen sick or gotten injured so badly that she wouldn't have the strength to keep her body from being complete submerged in the warm pool, never to come back up. She'd been a promising young woman, on her way to a successful career as a HOLY Alter user. Her death had been an accident, a tragic accident. I'd brought the reports from the search parties with me, not knowing if it would help.

_I remember being alone. I remember not being able to breathe…_, Midori's ghost whimpered, _I remember that they didn't come back like they promised! I got so angry…_

I sighed. I had been right. The loneliness and confusion of one woman's spirit had taken root in this place and had transformed into anger. That anger had transformed into a thirst for some type of revenge. She had seen that I had a connection to HOLY, and she had taken the chance to use it for her own ends. It was almost too sad.

"It's over now, Midori," I called to her, "Zigmar is dead. HOLY is in disarray. You can let go now. You won't be alone anymore. I'll take your body back to them. You've been found. The promise has been kept; it just took a long time to fulfill it."

_I'm going home?_ she asked hopefully. It was like hearing a little child. Her voice was so full of that desire to just be with someone that cared about her. It's amazing that such a yearning of the human heart can be transformed so.

"Yes, Midori, you're going home." I got back into the water and began searching the bottom for her. Thank God the bottom was solid stone. Eventually, I found her bones and I carefully lifted each of them out of the water and placed them on the lip of stone surrounding the lake. I wrapped each bone in cloth and gently placed each one into the large bag I had brought with me. When the last piece of Midori Hikari's skeleton rested in my bag, I stood and carefully slung it on my shoulder.

_Thank you._

For a moment, I could've sworn I saw her standing in front of me. Then her smiling image was gone and I was left in an empty and pretty chamber of stone that had acted as a tomb for almost three years. I left it with out looking back.

Once outside, my cell phone ran and I pulled it out of my jacket pocket wearily. Looking at the caller ID, I hoped that it was good news, but doubted it. Usually when the hospital's number was displayed on that tiny screen, another one of my patients had died. I flipped the phone open as said, "Dr. Kiryu."

"Mori! Mori, you won't believe it!" Aunt Naria's excited voice greeted. "He's awake, honey! Ryuhou's awake!"

"What?" I said, "Thank God…" Tears of happiness and relief welled up in my eyes. "I-I'll be right there!" I told her in a rush, hanging up with out a goodbye. I took off running, still mindful of the passenger in the bag.

A month ago, I wouldn't have thought this all possible. I'd been given an Alter, finally found a way through Ryuhou's walls, reunited with my aunt, fought for what I believed in, and even killed. Not all of it was pretty, but it had all happened. It had all contributed to who I was now, and who I would be years from now.

Everything that has happened has caused me to transform. I'm still myself, whatever that means, and I still hold onto that naïve belief that everyone is made to help another person. But I now know of a darker part of myself, the part that can kill and hurt. I don't know if these changes are for the better or not, but if Ryuhou and I can be together, I think we can figure it out.

After all, I'm a genius and I'm in love. What better combination could there be?

_Fin_

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(A.N.) Thanks to all of you who read this through to the end and an extra thanks to reviewers. If you have any random questions about the story feel free to e-mail and such. Ja-ne! 


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